Caster for powdered condiments



July 10, 1934.

u; BIEGER ET AL CASTER FOR POWDERED CONDIMENTS Filed March 29 1934 INVENTORS.

ALEXANDER 51min.

Uuucn BIL-GER;

Patented July 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Ulrich Bieger and Alexander Bieger, Stuttgart, Germany Application March 29, 1934, Serial No. 7183024 In Germany December 8, 1932 Z Claims. (Cl.-65-45) The inventionrelates to casters for powdered condiments, of the'kind wherein the orifice of the container is normally closed by a plunger, which is moved by hand for opening the orifice.

The object of our invention is to enable a caster of this kind to be used for holding two condiments (say salt and pepper) simultaneously, and for this purpose we make the plunger hollow, so that it can serve as a holder for one of the condiments, and we provide the plunger with a discharge orifice having a manually controlled closure. Various kinds of manually controlled "closures may be used. For example there may be a second plunger, within the hollow plunger, operating in the same way as the latter, or the closure may be a rotatable shutter actuated by means of a rod having a handle outside the container. In this case the arrangement may be such that the handle used for rotating the shut- 0 terserves also {or actuating the hollow plunger.

Examples of condiment casters constructed according to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing.

Figs. 1 and 2 show one example, Fig.1 being 5 a vertical section and Fig. 2 a cross-section on the line AB of Fig. 1.

Figs. 3 and 4 are similar views of another form of construction, Fig. 4 being a section on the line C-D of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vertical section showing a modification of a detail of the device.

Referring first to the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the container 1 has therein a plunger 2 with a tubular rod 2 extending upwards through a cavity in the top of the container. A

stud 3 projecting from the container is fixed to the rod and has a central bore. A spring 4 coiled round the rod is interposed between the lower edge of the stud and the base of the cavity through which the rod passes. The container has at the bottom an opening, into which a foot 5 is screwed. The foot has a central bore, downwardly tapered, and the plunger 2 normally fits closely into the lower orifice of this bore. The plunger 2 has, however, a: short distance above itslower end an annular constriction 6, and

' when by depression of the plunger this constriction is placed within the lower orifice there is an annular passage round the plunger for discharge of the'granular condiment 8, e. g. salt, from the space 7 surrounding the plunger inside the container.

Within the hollow plunger 2 there is a plunger 11, the. rod of which extends upwards through the tubular rod 2 and the stud 3. At its upper end therod of the plunger 11 has a knob 12 fitting into the bore of the stud 3 but normally projecting from it at the top, as shown in Fig. 1,

.a coiled spring 13 being interposed, in the bore,

between the knob 3 and the top edge of the plunger rod 2 The cavity 9 in the plunger 2, surrounding the plunger 11, contains a, second granular condibroken lines in Fig. 1, thus allowing condiment 10 to be discharged.

It will be clear that the plungers can be used (separately, so as to obtain discharge of only oneor other of the condiments. Pressure exerted in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1) by placing a finger on the knob 3. compresses the spring 13, so that the plunger 11 lowered within the plunger 2, leaving the latter stationary, or nearly so. Pressure exerted by placing a finger on the rim of the stud 3 causes both plungers to descend, but the plunger 11 is not moved relatively to the plunger 2, so there is no discharge from the cavity 9.

Access to the interior of the container 1 and plunger 11,- for filling the same, is obtained by unscrewing the foot 5 nd collar 14.

In the construction s own in Figs. 3 and 4 the container, designated 16,, has therein a hollow plunger 17. From the top of this plunger, near its rim, a. short rod 18 projects into a .bore. in the top of the container, to prevent rotation of the plunger. The cavity 19 in the container, round the plunger 17, is used for one of the condiments, say salt. At the bottom this cavity is normally closed'by a cap 21 screwed to the lower end of the plunger. The cap has holes 22 therein. A rod 23 extends vertically through the plunger and through a cavity in the top of the container, and has a knob 24 fixed to its upper end. A small disk 25 resting on the'cap 21 is fixed to the lower part of the rod 23; and has holes 26 therein. The rod 23 extends through the cap 21, and has a nut 2'7 screwed to its lower end. At the base of the cavity there is a fixed cam disk 29, having a ridge, and on a squared portion 23 of the rod within the cavity there is a cam disk 30 having a recess, whereby it is adapted to fit 'upon the disk 29.- The disk 29 can slide on the squared part 3 of the rod, but cannotrotate thereon. A coiled spring 28 is interposed between the knob 24 and the disk 30, and is normally under slight compression, due to the rod 23 being held down by the nut 27. The pressure of the spring 28 causes the disk 30 normally to assume the position in which it fits closely upon the surface of the disk 29. By this means the rod 23 is held in such a position that the holes 26 in the disk 25 are out of register with the holes 22 in the cap 21. Consequently there can be no discharge from the space 20 within the plunger 17, but by turning the knob 24 the holes can,be brought into register. On release of the knob, after turning it, the disk automatically resumes its normal position. Discharge from the space 19 round the plunger 1'7 is obtained by depressing the rod 23 and thus removing the cap from the opening at the bottom of the container.

The caster shown in Figs. 3 and 4 may be modified so that it serves also as a grinder, e. g. for peppercorns placed in the space 20. For this purpose a grinding wheel is provided, operated by rotation of the rod 23, and a grinding member coacting therewith is provided in the plunger 01 on the cap 21. 1

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which astud and knob are used for actuating two plungers in the manner described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2. In this modification the top of the stud, designated 3 for actuating the external plunger is normally at the higher level, the knob 12 of the inner plunger being in a cup formed in the the orifice of said plunger, means for moving saidplunger whereby said discharge orifice of said container is opened, and means for moving said closure whereby said plunger orifice is opened."

2. A condiment caster comprising in combination a condiment container having a. discharge orifice, a hollow plunger in said container adapted toclose said discharge orifice and having an orifice capable of discharging through said dis-' charge orifice of said container, a second plunger in said first mentioned hollow plunger, adapted l -to close said plunger orifice, means for moving said first mentioned plunger to open said dissaid plunger orifice.

charge orifice of said container, and means fororifice, a hollow-plunger in said container adapt-,

ed to close said discharge orifice and having an orifice capable of discharging through said discharge orifice of said container, a second plunger' in said first mentioned. hollowplunger, adapted to close said plunger orifice, atubular plunger 4. A condiment caster comprising in combination a condiment container having a discharge orifice, a hollow plunger in said container adapted to close said discharge orificeand having an orifice capable of discharging through said discharge orifice of said container, a second plunger in said first mentioned hollow plunger, adapted to close said plunger orifice, a tubular plunger rod fixed to said hollow plunger extending through the wall of said container, whereby said hollow plunger can be moved to open said discharge orifice of said container, and a plunger rod fixed to said second mentioned plunger and disposed within said hollow rod, whereby said second mentioned plunger can be moved to open said plunger orifice, said plunger rods having portions of different lengths outside said container.

5. A condiment caster comprising in combination a condiment container having a discharge orifice,-a hollow plunger in said container adapted to close said discharge orifice and having an orifice capableof discharging through said discharge orifice of said container, a closurefor' the orifice of said plunger consisting of a perforated plate fixed in said orifice and a rotatable perforated plate on said fixed plate, means i for moving said plunger whereby said discharge .orifice of said container is opened and means for rotating said perforated plate whereby the perforations therein are placed in register with the perforations in said fixed plate.

6. A condiment caster comprising in combination a condiment container having a discharge orifice, a hollow plunger in said container adapted to close said discharge orifice and having an orifice capable of discharging through said discharge orifice of said container, a closure for the orifice of said plunger consisting of a perforated plate fixed in said orifice and a rotatable perby the perforations therein are placed in register with the perforations in said fixed plate.

7. A condiment caster comprising in combination a condiment container having a discharge orifice, a hollow plunger in said container adapted to close'said discharge orifice and having an orifice capable of discharging through said discharge orifice of said container, a closure for the orifice of said plunger-consisting of a perforated plate fixed in said orifice and a rotatable perforated plate on said fixedplate, and means including an axially movable and rotatable member .for moving said plunger to open said discharge orifice of said container and for rotating said rotatable plate to place .the perforathrough the wall of said container, whereby said tions therein in register with the perforations in said fixed plate;

- ULRICH BIEGER.

ALEXANDER .BIEGER. 

